Rotary engine.



No. 729,042. PATBNTED MAY 26, 1903.

M. cAMERoN. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15; 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 vSHEETS-SHEET 1.

Game/'on by Il) 29071..

Inventor f www.. L N Q.. uw m.

WL'IJz ess es ML2/wm. K

PATENTED MAY 26, 1903.

M. CAMERON. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 15, 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 HODEL.

Marduk Cameron.

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UNITnD STATES Patented May 26, 193`.

PATENT OFFICE.

MURDICK CAMERON, OF DULUTI-I, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE I.. WOOLEN, OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MINNESOTA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent o. 729,042, dated May 26, 1903. Application filed September l5, 1902. -SerialNo.123,368. (No modelli T0 @ZZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, MURDICK CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention relates to rotary engines.

It consists of certain constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as Will be hereinafter more particularly set fort-h and described.

In the accompanying d1awings,`Figure 1 is a central vertical cross-sectional view of my said invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the piston and portion of the piston-wheel, as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail end view of said piston and of a portion of the side of the piston-wheel. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the head of one of the standards supporting the power-shaft. Fig. 5 is a reduced central vertical cross-section of the casing of said piston-wheel and of a part of the casing of the feed and exhaust or reversing valve-cylinders. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the course of the piston guidewheel around the piston wheel casing or housing. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail, in vertical cross-section, of a portion of said valvecasing and of the inclosed steam-feed cylinder and of a portion of the inclosed exhaust and reversing cylinder. Fig. 8 is a reduced side elevation of the interior face of one of the halves of the piston-wheel casing, showing in vertical longitudinal section a portion of the supporting-base and in vertical crosssection a portion of the said valve-casing and valve-cylinders. Fig. 9 is a similar view of the other half of said piston-wheel casing and base and valve casing and cylinder. Fig. 10 is a detail end elevation of said valvecasing and of the projecting valve-stein of the steamfeed valve and of the eccentric valve-operating mechanism. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail of one end of the exhaust and reversing cylinder.

In the drawings, 1 is a hase, having a shaftsupporting standard 2 formed thereon or se cured thereto and having another shaft-supporting standard 3 removably secured there to by a key 4, or any other or additional suite 4able means, each of which standards is formed with a head 5, having a projecting lip 6, prefa erably grooved, as at 7, to receive a suitable key, which head is adapted to form one half of a journal-box, upon which is removably secured, by any suitable means, a corresponding half or cap 8, preferably formed with a projecting lip 9, grooved, as at 10, to receive a key, hereinafter described. Secured to said base in any suitable manner, as by bolts 11, I erect one half of a piston-wheel casing 12, to which I bolt the other half 13 of said casin g` which casings are respectively recessedin their opposing faces, as at 14., to receive a piston-wheel,hereinafterdescribed. Thepart12 is further recessed,as at 1S,to receive theflange of a sleeve, hereinafter described, and is apertured, as at 19, to receive the power-shaft and an encircling sleeve. The part 13 is similarly recessed, as at l5, to receive the hub of the piston-wheel and apertured, as at 16, to receive the reduced portion of said hub and said shaft and is preferably also recessed in its exterior face, as at 1'7, to receive the end of a collar, hereinafter described. Each half of said casingvmay also be recessed, as at 20, to lighten the metal and to lessen friction between the faces of said casing and the con-V tained piston-wheel. The inner faces of each half of said casing are also further recessed,

so that when said halves are brought together said last-described recess will form an annular groove 21, lying wholly in part l2 through-` out approximately half its course and dipping gradually from the points a; and e', respectively, into part 13, from both directions, for the remainder of i'ts course, until it lies Wholly in said part 13 at the point y, forming a transverse shoulder 14 on the part 12, and an indent 141:b in the part 13. Said part 12 is further formed With an annular groove 22 in its inner face, interrupted at one point by an abutment 12, hereinafter described. wheel 23 may be keyed directly to a powershaft 28, but is preferably recessed in one face, as at 26, to receive a core 27, to `which it is slidably secured by a suitable loose key, said core being in turn secured to said shaft` by a tight key, the object of which is to lessen the lost motion which Would occur if the wheel 23 were slidably keyed directly to the Said said sleeve is externally threaded at its outerv end to engage the internally-threaded iange of an adjusting-collar 30, loosely mounted upon said shaft and adapted to abut against a fixed eccentric collar 31, secured to said shaft by a set-screw, as shown, or by any other suitable means, by which construction the revolution of said collar 30 in one direction will thrust saidr sleeve 29 inwardly against the wheel 23, and the opposite revolution of said last-named collar will draw it upon said sleeve away from said collar 3l,per mitting the wheel 23 to press said sleeve outwardly a limited distance. To adjustably block the shaft itself against longitudinal movement in one direction, I provide the loose collar 32, mounted on said shaft and slidably keyed to the lips 7, or 10, or both of them,by loose keys projecting into the grooves of said lips, respectively, which collar is formed with a reduced hub, externally threaded to engage an internally-threaded loose collar 33, mounted on said hub and adapted to bear against the inner face of said journal-box, whereby the revolution of said collar 33 in one direction will force said sliding collar 32 inwardly against the face of the fixed collar 3l. A collar ,34, similar to said collar 33, is mounted upon said shaft on the opposite side of said wheel-casing and is adapted to engagev the externally threaded end of the extension 25 ofA said Wheel-hub and to bear against a stilic coiled spring 35, mounted on said shaft, which spring, in turn, is adapted to bear against -a fixed collar 36, secured to said shaft, by which means said wheel 23 may adjustably be kept under spring tension close against the inner'face of part l2, with due allowance for expansion in the direction of part 13 and with but triliing friction against the inner face of said part l2. The parts 37 and 38 are oppositely-directed, similar parts to said collars 32 and 33 and prevent the movement of the shaft in the opposite direction. To secure further rigidity of said standards 2 and 3 and to correct any warping of the same, I preferably provide the right and left threaded spacing bolts 39, adapted to engage recessed studs 40, respectively secured to said standards and to the outer side faces of said wheel-casings and internally threaded to respectively correspond to and receive the threaded ends of said spacing-bolts. At opposite points near the periphery of said wheel 23 l arrange transversely-sliding pistons 4l, each inserted in a transverse aperture or recess formed in said wheel, which pistons are adapted, in retracted position, to be housed entirely within said recesses 41 and, in operative position, to

project therefrom into the groove 22 of said casing and when fully projected to fill said groove. A slot 43 is formed in the periphery of said wheel, connecting with said recess 42, through which slot a pin 44 is projected into said piston 4l for the purpose of sliding said piston back and forth, which pin is provided at its outer end with a guide-wheel 45, adapted to travel in said groove 2l of the wheelcasing and to thrust forth or retract said piston, accordingly as the course of said groove 2l shall govern the transverse movement of said guide-wheel. A grooveis also preferably cut in said wheel 23 from the interior of said recess 42, into which groove is sprung a split ring-spring 46 and four overlapping sections of packing lying within the said ring-spring and adapted to bear against the piston 4l at its sides and upper and lower edges. A groove is also preferably cut vertically in the forward edge ot' said piston and continued in the top and bottom edges of the forward part of said piston, the rearward ends of said groove being joined by a recess in said piston, which groove and recess will form an elliptical channel, deeper at each end of the ellipse than at the top and bottom, into the rearward end of which is preferably sprung a liat spring 48 and into which elliptical channel, forward of said spring 48, is sprung a packing-ring 50, inclosing the portion 49 of said piston, the said ring 50 being divided, as at 51, the divided ends preferably overlapping, but the said method and means for packing said piston may be altered, or modied, as may seem desirable, or may be wholly omitted. A faucet 52 is preferably provided for drawing off condensed steam from said groove 22. 53 and 53 are combined steam feed and exhaust ports, respectively communicating with the groove 22 on opposite sides of the abutment 12a, said port 52 normally also communicating with the branch 57b of the Valve 57, and the port 53n at the same time communieating with an exhaust port 59 through the wall of cylinder 56, Fig. 9, by which steam is exhausted into the chamber of said cylinder and thence out through a pipe 69 to the atmosphere. When it is desired to reverse the engine, the cylinder 56 is rotated, so that the port 59 and the mouth of the branch 57b are closed against the casing 55 andthe casing l2, respectively, and at the Y rotation of said cylinder 56 is continued until said groove passes beyond said branch ports and the branch 57b comes into registration with said port 53L and an exhaust-port 58, similar to said port 59, comes into registration with said port 53, at which time the branch 57, 0f said valve 57, will have been lOO IIO

closed against the wall of casing 55 and the branch 57c will have come into registration with the port 60, leading into said steam-CyL inder 6l. A steam-supply pipe 62 constantly communicates with a port leading through said casing 55, which latter port communicates constantly with an elliptical port leading into said steam-cylinder. In said pipe 62 any suitable governing-valve (not shown) may be located and controlled by any suitable governor connected in any suitable manner by an eccentric mechanism with said power-shaft, such devices being well known in the art and not thought necessary to be particularly described herein. Spiders 63 are secured in the ends of said steam-cylinder, into which is keyed a central shaft 64. A similar spider is secured in one end of the reversing-cylinder, in which ashaft 66 is keyed, and a reversing-lever 66 is secured to the outer end of said shaft 66, by means of which, said cylinder is rotated to reverse the engine. Covers 67 are bolted to said casing 55, to cover the ends of said steam and reversing cylinders and may also be bolted to said parts 12 and 13. A crank 69 is secured to one end of the shaft 64c and pivoted at its outer end in the upper end of a connecting-rod 70, which is pivoted at its lower end to one end of an adjustable rocker7l,whichis pivoted,through a central slot, to a stud 72, projecting from said part l2, which rocker is pivoted at its opposite end to the rod of an eccentric-strap encircling the eccentric collar 3l, by which means the steam-cylinder is rocked to partly cut o steam from said valve 57.

Vhile I have described the essential part of said engine comprising my invention, it is obvious that suitable ball-bearings, oil-cups, governor, and other well-known details may be added and that the construction of said engine may be modified in minor particulars within the scope of said invention.

The operation of said invention is as follows: Steam is preferably continuously admitted under full'head to said steam-cylinder 61 and continuously to the port 60 thereof, flowing through said port when any of the branches of said valve 57 are in registration therewith. The branch 57 being in registration with port when said engine is Working ahead, steam flows through said branch 57 into branch 57' and through said port 53 into the groove 22 forward of said abutment 12, escaping, in part, past the end of the piston, which is between the abutment and the point and flowing with direct and eX- panding pressure against the full face of the farther piston, which is between the points and .e in the lower plane of said casing 12. When said farther piston reaches the point z, it begins to retract, permitting the steam to pass it and escape through the ports 53 and 59 into the exhaust or reversing cylinder 56, and thence out to the atmosphere through the pipe 69. At the moment said farther piston begins to retractatthepointzthe otherpiston will reach the limit of its projection into said groove 22 at the point and willshut off the steam from said further piston, thence receiving the full head of steam from the point m to a point intermediate of the point a: and the point z and opposite said abutment. VVheu said last-named piston passes said intermediate point, said farther piston will pass the abutment and begin to be projected into said groove 22 and to gradually cut 0E the steam from the piston between said intermediate point and said point e. To reverse said engine, the reversing-cylinder 56 is partly r0- tatcd by means of the lever 66, so as, first, to close the inlet and exhaust ports 53 and 53, respectively, and, continuing, bring said groove 54: over both said branch ports 54 and 5l, through' which the live steam from the positive side of the abutment 12 can then enter at the reverse side of said abutment and fill the groove between abutment and said farther piston, whereby the impulse from the steam subsequently admitted to s'aid groove, on the reverse side of said abutment, from said cylinder 6l will be the sooner felt on the face of the retreating said farther piston. The rotation of said cylinder 56 being continued, said branch 57b will be brought into registration with said port 53',and said branch 57C will be brought into registration with said port 60, and said branch 57 Will be closed against the casing 55, and said exhaust-port 58 will be brought into registration with said port 53, and the groove 54 will be closedagainst said casing 12 and 55.

Having now described my invention,`what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a rotary engine, the combination with a suitable base of two vertically-arranged housings adapted in coperation to inclose a piston-wheel and respectively so grooved in the interior faces of their flanged portions that when said housings are brought together in operative position said grooves Will coperate to form one annular groove, the bottom of which shall, for approximately halt' its course, lie wholly within one of said housings, and for the remainder of its course deviate to the opposite said housing until it comes wholly within said opposite housing, the housing containing the major part of said groove being also formed with an annular groove in its interior side face, obstructed by an abutment lling said groove at a point opposite to where the first said groove comes wholly within said opposite housing, and having steam inlet and exhaust ports connecting with the second said groove on either side of said abutment respectively, a power-shaft projected transversely through said `housings, a piston-wheel concentric to said shaft and keyed thereto within said housings and adapted to closely approach the side face of the housing containing the second said groove and to cover said groove, and to broadly clear the inner side face of the opposite said hous- Ico llC

ing, pistons, carried in recesses formed in said wheel near the periphery thereof, and adapted to be projected into said groove and to be retracted into said recesses respectively, pins secured to said pistons andprojecting through peripheral, transversely-prolonged slots formed in said wheel, guide-wheels carried by said pins, respectively and adapted to travel in the first-said groove to govern the position of said pistons, means for'supplying steam or other motive gas or liquid to either one of said ports and means for conveying the exhaust from the other of said ports according as theengine is running ahead, or reversed, adjustable means for eifecting a steam-tight approach of the opposing face of said wheel to the inner side face of said housing containing the second said groove, substantially as described.

2. In a rotaryl engine the combination with a suitable base of two vertically-arranged housings adapted in coperation to inclose a piston-wheel and respectively so grooved in the interior faces of their flanged portions thatl when said housings are brought together in operative position said grooves will coperate to form, one annular groove, the bottom of which shall, for approximately half itscourse, lie wholly within one of said housings, and for the remainder of its course deviate to the opposite said housing until it comes wholly within said opposite housing, the housing containing the major part of said groove being also formed with an annular groove in its interior side face,4obstructed by an abutment fllling said groove at a point opposite to where the first said groove comes wholly within said opposite housing, and having steam inlet and exhaust ports connecting'with the second said groove on either side of said abutment respectively, a power-shaft projected transversely through said housings, a pistonwheel concentric to said shaft and slidably keyed thereto within said housings and adapted to closely approach the side face of the housing containing the second said groove and to cover said groove, and to broadly clear the inner said face of the opposite said housing, pistons, carried in recesses formed in said wheel near the periphery thereof, and adapted to be projected into said groove and to be retracted into said recesses respectively, pins secured to said pistons and projecting through peripheral, transversely-prolonged slots formed in said wheel, guide-wheels carried by said pins, respectively, and adapted to travel in the first said groove to govern the position of said pistons, means for supplying steam or other motive gas or liquid to either one of said ports and means for conveying the exhaust from the other of said ports according as the engine is running ahead, or reversed, adjustable means adapted to effect a steam-tight approach under spring tension of the said wheel to the inner side face of the housing containing the second said groove, substantially as described.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with a suitable base of two vertically arranged housings adapted in coperation to inclose a piston-wheel and respectively so grooved in the interior faces of their hanged portions that when said housings are brought together in operative position said grooves will coperate to form one annular groove, the bottom of which shall, for approximately half its course, lie wholly within one of said housings, and for the remainder of its course deviate to the opposite saidvhousing until it comes wholly within said opposite housing, the housing containing the major part of said groove being also formed with an annular groove in its interior side face, obstructed by an abutment filling said groove ata point opposite to where the first said groove comes wholly within said opposite housing, and having steam inlet and exhaust ports connecting with the second said groove on either side of said abutment respectively, a power shaft projected transversely through said housings, a piston-wheel concentric to said shaft and slidably keyed thereto within said housings and adapted to closely approach the side face of the housing containing the second said groove and to cover said groove,and to broadly clear the inner side face of the opposite said housing, pistons, carried in recesses formed in said wheel near the periphery thereof, and adapted to be projected into said groove and to be retracted into said recesses respectively, pins secured to said pistons and projecting through peripheral slots formed in said wheel, guidewheels carried by said pins, respectively, and adapted to travel in the irst said groove to govern the position of said pistons, means for supplying steam or other motive gas or liquid to either one of said ports and means for conveying the exhaust from the other of said ports according as the engine is running ahead, or reversed, adjustable means for limiting the approach of the said wheel to the inner side face of the housing containing the second said groove, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination With a suitable base of two vertically-arranged housings adapted in coperation to inclose a piston-wheel and respectively so grooved in the interior faces of their flanged portions that when said housings are brought together in operative position said grooves will coperate to form one annular groove, the bottom of which shall, for approximately half its course, lie wholly Within one of said housings, and for the remainder of its course deviate to the opposite said housing until it co mes wholly within said opposite housing, the housing containing the major part of said groove being also formed with an annular groove in its interior side face, obstructed by an abutment lling said groove at apoint opposite to where the first said groove comes wholly within said opposite housing, and having steam inlet and exhaust ports connecting with the second said IOO IOS

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groove on either side of said abutment respectively, a powershaft projected transversely through said housings, a piston-wheel concentric to said shaft and slidably keyed thereto within said housings and adapted to closely approach the side face of the housing containing the second said groove and to cover said groove, and to broadly clear the inner side face of the opposite said housing, pistons, carried in recesses formed in said wheel near the periphery thereof, and adapted to be projected into said groove and to be retracted into said recesses respectively, pins secured to said pistons and projecting through peripheral, transversely-prolonged slots formed in said wheel, guide-wheels carried by said pins, respectively, and adapted to travel inthe iirst said groove to govern the position of said pistons, means for supplying steam or other motive gas or liquid to either one of said ports and means for conveying the exhaust from the other of said ports according as the engine is running ahead, or reversed, adjustable means for preventing the longitudinal movement of said shaft, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with a suitable base of two vertically-arranged housings adapted in cooperation to inclose a piston-wheel, and respectively so grooved in the interior faces of their anged portions that when said housings are brought together in operative position said grooves will cooperate to form one annular groove, the bottom of which shall for approximately half its course lie wholly Within one of said housings and for the remainder of its course deviate gradually to the opposite said housing untilit comes wholly within said opposite housing, the ho using containing the major part of said groove being formed with an annular groove in its interior side face obstructed by an abutment filling said groove ata point opposite to where the first said groove comes wholly within said opposite housing and having two ports connecting with the second said groove, respectively on opposite sides of said abutment and penetrating the Wall of said housing, means for directing a supply of live steam to either one of said ports and means for conveying exhausted steam from the other of said ports, and comprising a hood secured to said housing over said ports, a reversing-cylinder Within said hood adapted to be partly rotated and having exhaust-ports formed inthe wall thereof one of which exhaust-ports is adapt-ed, When said engine is running ahead, to register with one ofthe ports leading to said groove and the other to be closed against the wall of said hood, and said other exhaust-port being adapted, when said cylinder is rotated to reverse said engine, to register with the other of said ports leading to said groove, and the firstof said ports in said reversing-cylinder being then adapted to be closed by the wall of said hood, also comprising a three-way valve constructed in said cylinder, one of the branches of which is adapted when said engine is moving ahead, to communicate with one of the ports leading to said groove and another of the branches of which is adapted to communicate through a port in said hood with the port of a steam-chest contained in another compartment of said hood, and the third branch of which valve is adapted to be closed by the wall of said hood, and said third branch being adapted, when said cylinder is rotated to reverse said engine, to communicate with said ports leading to said steamchest and said second branch being then adapted to be closed against the wall of said hood and the iirst said branch being then adapted to communicate with the other port leading to said groove, the housing containing the second said groove having branch ports formed therein connecting respectively at their inner ends with the other said ports formed in said housing and adapted to be normally closed at their outer ends by the wall of said reversing-cylinder and, during the reversing movement of said cylinder, to each communicate with a groove formed in the wall of said cylinder and closed at each end by said hood, said hood being provided with side walls covering the ends of said steamchest and reversing-cylinder, means for conducting the exhaust from said reversing-cylinder through said hood and away from said cylinder, a supply-pipe for conveying steam or other motive power to said steam-chest, a valve-stein for rocking said steam-chest to partly cover and alternately uncover the port penetrating the division-wall of said hood, an eccentric mechanism connected to said stem and to the power-shaft for operating said valve-stem, and a lever for partly rotating said reversing-cylinder, substantially as described.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination with asuitable base of apiston-wheel housing supported thereby, said housing having an annular groove or irregular course formed in the interior face of its cylindrical Wall and an annular groove formed in the interior face of one of its side walls, obstructed at one point by an abutment filling said groove, and having a steam feed and exhaust port connecting with the second said groove respectively on opposite sides of said abutment, a power-shaft projected through said housing, a Wheel slidably keyed to said shaft, within said housing, and carrying pistons, adapted to be projected into the second said groove, piston-governing means extending from said pistons into the first said groove, means for supplying steam,or other motive gas orliquid, to one of the ports connecting with ,the second said groove, means for conductingthe eX- hanst from the other of said ports, adjustable means for governing the position of said wheel on said shaft and comprising a thrustcollar screwed upon a hub formed upon one side of said wheel, a stop-collar rigidly secured to the adjoining end of said shaft, a

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struction being such lthat said Wheel may be forced from one side under spring tension to a steam-tight approach to the Wall of said housing containing the second said groove, and so limited in such approach from lthe opposite side as to prevent excessive friction,-

substantialiy as described. i

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscrib my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MURDICK CAMERON. Witnesses:

JAMES T; WATSON, PHINEAs AYER. 

